What is Alagille syndrome (ALGS)?
A rare, multisystem disease1
Diagnosing ALGS can be challenging, as it can present in various ways:
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ALGS can often be misdiagnosed as other cholestatic liver diseases2
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Blood work, including liver function tests, and ultrasounds are typically used to evaluate patients suspected to have ALGS3
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A diagnosis can be further confirmed by identification of a heterozygous pathogenic variant in JAG1 or NOTCH2 on molecular genetic testing4
In order to diagnose ALGS,
patients should present with clinical features from at least 3 of the 7 major affected organ systems4:
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Hepatic
- Cholestasis
- Jaundice
- Hepatomegaly
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Cardiac
- Pulmonary stenosis
- Tetralogy of Fallot
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Ocular
- Posterior embryotoxon
- Optic disk drusen
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Skeletal
- Butterfly vertebrae
- Pathological fractures
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Facial
- Prominent forehead
- Pointed chin
- Deep-set eyes
- Bulbous tipped nose
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Renal
- Renal dysplasia
- Renal tubular acidosis
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Vascular
- Intracranial bleeding
- Central nervous system vascular malformations
References:
1. Kamath BM, Abetz-Webb L, Kennedy C, et al. Development of a novel tool to assess the impact of itching in pediatric cholestasis. Patient. 2018;11(1):69-82. doi:10.1007/s40271-017-0266-4
2. Saleh M, Kamath BM, Chitayat D. Alagille syndrome: clinical perspectives. Appl Clin Genet. 2016;9:75-82. doi:10.2147/TACG.S86420
3. Cheng K, Rosenthal P. Diagnosis and management of Alagille and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. Hepatol Commun. 2023;7(12):e0314. doi:10.1097/HC9.0000000000000314
4. Ayoub MD, Kamath BM. Alagille syndrome: diagnostic challenges and advances in management. Diagnostics (Basel). 2020;10(11):907. doi:10.3390/diagnostics10110907